Two Sides to Every Tail
by Dr1ft3r0I
Summary: This is the story of an innocent king, a brutal father, and a boy with another presence stuck in his head. Oh, did I forget to mention that trans-dimensional physics was involved too? OC's welcome!
1. Chapter 1

Two Sides to Every Tail

Birth

Trapped. That's what I felt. Surrounded on all sides by blackness and something hard. I hear muffled noises outside. Wait, what's that fuzzy feeling in the back of my head? It seems scared, which is making me scared, and drives it further down the road to fear. I struggle, and then there's light! I try to reach it, but my body isn't working the way I want it to. I think I'm missing a few fingers, and those fingers are short; the same goes for my toes, which leads me to wonder why I can't kick right.

An urgent feeling washes over me, and that fuzzy feeling in the back of my head comes back, reciprocating the urgency. I realize that I'm slowly running out of air, and I hear louder noises outside; for some reason my body decides on its own to struggle harder. Now I'm panicking, because I'm not in control of my limbs.

The light is brighter, much brighter now, and all of a sudden, I am free. I get a glimpse of the world as my body hits the cold fluff of a quilt. I am in a room, with walls built with stone, and a fireplace off to the side. Yet, what grabs my attention are the pair of Lucario in front of me. The one to my left seems kind, and the fuzzy feeling in the back of my head identifies it as _Mother_. She reaches out for me – or is it us, since this thing in my head now starts controlling my body? – and I (or is it we?) flinch as the other slaps Mother's paw away, growling threateningly. This one is larger, and I don't need the presence in my head to know that this is _Father_, and he is much less forgiving – or caring – as Mother. That's all I can take in before I fade into the black.

The female Lucario glares at her mate, the pup before them closing its eyes to rest, whimpering softly. [What is the matter with you Tybalt? This is our pup, not some useless Joltik that found its way onto your fur!] she growled, crossing her arms before her. The male, Tybalt, huffed in at his mate's lack of what he thought was common knowledge among Lucario. [Myra, that _pup_ should not be using his eyes from birth. Nor should it have shown fear,] he stated, his gaze not leaving the sleeping form of his child.

Myra sighed angrily as she scooped the pup up into her arms, directing her fury towards her mate; to the newborn Riolu in her arms, she sent out waves of calm. She sat down by the fireplace, pup near her breast and smiled.

[No matter how strong of will you are, you will always be my shining light, Lucian Steelpaw. My little pup.]

15 years earlier

It was a dark night in Unova, and Ghethis Harmonia was uncharacteristically happy. In a few short moments, his plan to achieve total control over Unova – and if all went well, Sinnoh – would begin. Almost right on cue, the wail of a newborn infant made itself known to the world. Ghethis smiled as Gorm, a fellow Sage and Team Plasma's resident medical expert, came out from where his wife had labored to give birth.

"Sage Ghethis, you have been granted a son," Gorm said, head bowed low in respect to the team's leader and founder. Ghethis chuckled as Gorm continued to speak. "Your bride has stated that the boy's name be Nathaniel, in honor of – "

The Sage never got to finish his statement as Ghethis turned to face Gorm, anger etched in the green-haired man's face. "That wench will not name the boy after anything in this world, lest he be tainted. What his name shall be is N, and he will be your king!" Ghethis hissed to his companion, just as a young girl, no older than fifteen, came out with a worried look on her face.

"Sage Gorm, something's wrong, she keeps on bleeding from the vaginal opening, and her pulse is fading fast!" she yelled. "Concordia's doing the best she can to keep her stable!"

Gorm cursed, which was something unusual for soft-spoken surgeon. "Anthea, help Concordia, keep her stable, she –"

"She has served her purpose," said Ghethis coldly as he strode into the room, not even caring for the shocked expressions on Anthea and Gorm's faces. The man seemingly didn't notice his wife who lay on the bed bleeding, pulse fading to a dreadful monotone. The only thing that Ghethis cared about was the infant boy who was being tended to by an Audino.

Thus began the life of Unova's future king – and the rise of its worst fear.

**I decided to try something new with my writing, hence, the first person sequence at the start of this chapter. While this is a Lucario/N pairing on the tag, this is **_**not**_** what the story will focus on. I am a straight Caucasian male and I have not the experience to even write a lemon, much less yaoi. So no citrus for you! Anyway, read and review, and tell me what you would like for this story. OC's welcome! Just give me name, age, occupation, yadda yadda yadda. **

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Training, Pt.1

_I think I'm hallucinating. Why, would you ask? For one thing, I woke up as a newborn Riolu, which to the extent of my knowledge, only exists in the Pokemon video games and whatever brief appearances in both show and movie. Secondly, I have had brief snippets of the Riolu's life so far flash into my mind. _

_They aren't altogether happy. _

Lucian Steelpaw tried to suppress a shiver of apprehension as squires of the Rota Guard, escorted by a Senior Guardsman, walked down the small line of Lucario and Riolu in the palace courtyard. In the four months since his birth, Lucian had learned several, all important rules that he held to be true of his world. One, treat any human female that he had met, but did not know as if she was Lady Eileen; two, superiors and elders were to be called "Sir" or "Ma'am;" three, Lucian was not a prime example of how a Riolu should look.

For starters, the average height of a four month Riolu was about two feet four inches; Lucian was two foot one, not counting his ears. His second most noticeable issue was that instead of the courageous blood-red eyes his species was known for, Lucian had emerald green eyes. The blue fur that he should have was instead a fine golden color, and to top it all off, he was scared.

A gentle paw touched his shoulder. Lucian gazed up into the eyes of his mother, who sent him a calming wave of Aura to soothe and encourage him. She smiled down at him just as a squire stopped in front of them. Lucian whipped his head back to the front, straightened his back, and looked dead ahead in record time.

The squire who stood – or rather, kneeled – in front of him was a young girl with plain, shortly cropped brown hair and chocolate colored eyes. The uniform of the squires – a deep, vibrant blue trimmed with silver – seemed a bit too big for her, if the slightly long sleeves were any indication. Lucian tried not to fidget as the girl inspected him.

"Sir, can I have this Riolu? I think he has potential," she said, turning her head to speak to her superior officer. Lucian didn't need the Aura receptors on his head to know that the other Riolu – and a few other Lucario as well – were surprised. The Senior Guardsman was just as surprised, and the gobsmacked expressions of the other squires were, to anybody else, priceless.

"Squire Aaronson, please reconsider," the Guardsman asked the girl. "This particular Riolu is…not particularly fit for duty in the Guard or to compete in the Rota League."

"Sir, I believe that between the two of us," the squire replied back to the Guardsman enthusiastically, "We can get to at least the quarter finals in the Rota League." The girl stood up and snapped to attention. The Guardsman sighed.

"Very well. You can have this Riolu assigned to you," he pointed to both Lucian and the squire girl in turn. "Starting in two days, the two of you will be training in the courtyard for basic training. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The girl shouted in attention, Lucian barking the same. The officer nodded.

"Dismissed. Aaronson, I want you in my office at fourteen hundred hours, sharp." With that, the Guardsman turned to help the other squires select their partners. The girl turned back to face Lucian and his mother. Kneeling once more, she held out her hand.

"Hi, my name's Melissa, what's your name?" she asked mellifluously. Lucian suddenly felt tongue-tied, and couldn't find the nerve to at least answer back. Thankfully, Lucian's mother knew what he wanted to say.

[His name is Lucian Steelpaw, and I am his mother, Myra Swifttail,] his mother said, bowing her head to the squire.

Melissa looked back at Lucian. "Lucian huh? Well, it was great meetin' you, so I'll be seeing you later okay Lucian?" Melissa said, cheerfully ruffling the fur between the Riolu's ears. She stood up and walked out of the courtyard, a grin plastered on her face.

[So Lucian, what do you think of her?] Myra asked her pup, a small curious grin on her muzzle. Lucian shrugged, an oddly human gesture that he was doing a lot of lately.

[She was…interesting, Mother,] the young Pokemon softly said to his mother.

1215 Hours

_Wham!_

Lucian crashed into a garbage receptical, pain lancing itself through his snout. After arriving at his family's den, Lucian had snuck out to try and train himself out in the nearby village's training grounds. Unfortunately, he had run into a pack of palace Riolu, led by none other the most cruel Riolu in the area: Oberon.

Groaning, Lucian looked up to see the hostile form of Oberon over him, a heartless smirk on his face.

[How is it that **you**,] Oberon stepped – lightly, to prolong the agony – on Lucian's throat, [Managed to be partnered with the daughter of a Senior Guardsman, and you] Oberon said this last part slowly, his foot-paw now pressing itself deeper in his victim's throat. [Can't do a single thing you _heartless_ little shit.]

Not only was Oberon foul-mouthed, but he had pointed out – quite literally, as he tapped the other's chest – Lucian's greatest flaw. Of all the Riolu and Lucario in Rota, Lucian was cursed with lacking the steel spike signifying his supposedly unswerving loyalty to justice. Since he had been born, Lucian had been shunned by most other Riolu and a few Lucario. His father, however, genuinely hated him.

_From what this Riolu – okay, Lucian, since I think I share his body – remembers about his father, the more I am reminded about my life in a way. Okay, not really that connected, but I do feel empathy as the poor guy is rejected traditional training from his father: something that I gather to be a serious misdemeanor on that heartless shithead's part. That night practically killed off Lucian's confidence in himself, which is why he stinks at fighting. Okay, I change my mind; I __**do**__ know what this pup is feeling. Wow Dad, I get to meet an even scarier version of you in another universe. _

_Shifting my priorities from memory viewing to ensuring Lucian's – and by extension, my – continued survival, I notice that the Riolu who is stepping on us is trying to choke us to death. Lucian was doing the wrong thing, just grabbing at the bastardos ankles; I act as if I'm giving advice to my brother. _

Lucian had a flash of insight on how to get his would be killer off his throat. Without warning, Lucian punched – no scratch that, it was a Force Palm – Oberon right where there was a great recreational area with a waste disposal pipeline. This not only sent Oberon off into the air and land a few feet away, but it also made him curl up in agony, nursing his family treasures.

Lucian had already dashed off, hoping to find peace – and answers – elsewhere.

1400 Hours

Melissa Aaronson waited outside the door to the NCO's (Non Commissioned Officer) office, trying to calm herself down. After a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Come in," came the voice of the Guardsman. Melissa took one final gulp and entered.

The office was small, but that did nothing to constrain its personality. Besides the Rota flag behind the solid cheri desk, there were several shelves displaying memorabilia from the Guardsman's career: a softly glowing orange crystal, several photos taken in desert, and a shell casing being the most prominent. The most dominating thing in the room at the moment, however, was the man behind the desk.

At the age of forty-three, Senior Guardsman Paul Aaronson had seen and done a lot. Yet, the one thing he had no training in, and was likely never to learn, was determining why his daughter did half the things she did, the Riolu from earlier that day being the latest example. His daughter now stood at attention in front of him, waiting for both the paperwork to be done and for the order to rest was given. With a quick flourish, Paul signed off the last piece of paperwork and looked his daughter in the eye.

"At ease, Squire Aaronson." He motioned for Melissa to sit down, which she promptly did so in about a second. Paul took the brass chevrons of his collar and placed them on the table with a sigh. "Melissa, right now, I am not talking to you as your senior officer, I am asking as a father; what possessed you to pick that Riolu?"

Melissa fidgeted for moment before answering. "Sir, the Riolu in question seemed scared and…I don't know if I should say this, but…" she trailed off, hesitant about what she was about to say. Paul waited. "I think that Lucian-"

"Wait, you named it Lucian?" Paul interrupted incredulously. Melissa vigorously shook her head no.

"No sir, the Riolu's mother named him that. But that aside, the reason I picked him was because he seemed lonely. After all sir, it's … not that I have many friends of my own," Melissa said dejectedly.

Paul could only offer his one and only daughter a bittersweet smile. "Melissa, I know it's hard to be a military child, but the thing is, the friendships you do make will often last lifetimes. That's even more important with some of these Riolu. Have you ever heard of an Aura Bond Mel?" He asked, using his pet name for his daughter.

"No sir."

"Well, an Aura Bond is when a Riolu or a Lucario meets someone that has an Aura of the same frequency as theirs. When they find that someone, they will instinctively form a bond that will essentially compel them to protect and serve their charge. However, Aura Bonds occur rarely, and thankfully, most of those occur here in Rota," Paul explained to his child.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but what does this Aura Bond have to do with Lucian?" Melissa asked, her eyebrows raised inquisitively.

Paul took a deep breath to collect his thoughts and then answered. "The reason it matters for that Riolu you picked is that without that heart of steel, that Riolu may never bond, and will simply not grow well as a side-effect."

1845 Hours

Lucian huddled next to Rota's rather famous claim to fame, the Aura crystals, trying to stay out of the rain. He was lost, he was hungry, and he had a weird fuzzy feeling in the back of his head. Thinking back, Lucian realized that he had that same feeling when he was being choked by Oberon; he had also felt it back when his father had refused to teach him, and this was just a thought, perhaps when he was born.

[Young one, are you lost?]

Lucian jumped up in fright as he saw tall, gangly form of a Lucario next to him. However, unlike many Lucario that Lucian knew, this Lucario was kneeling down to his level. That, and he – at least, Lucian was pretty sure that the Aura was telling him the Lucario was a male – seemed genuinely concerned. Lucian shook his head.

[No sir, I'm just resting,] the pup whined softly. The Lucario raised an eyebrow.

[Then why do I sense that your Aura is either lying, or that you are trying to hide from someone?] the Lucario asked, arms across his chest. Lucian gulped in surprise, yet that strange, fuzzy feeling in the back of his head didn't seem surprised. The Lucario's formerly bemused expression turned grim. [What else do you have in your body?] This time there was no gentleness to his voice. Only steel.

Cynthia Arnolds sat patiently as Lady Eileen served the two of them tea. "I'm sorry I came on such short notice but, with all the issues out there and my current position as Sinnoh champion, I hope you understand," the blonde trainer said to the equally blonde sovereign of Rota. Lady Eileen chuckled.

"Don't worry Miss Cynthia, I can understand your reasons. After all, you have a Bachelor's from Castelia University in Ancient History, and as far as history goes, then Rota has some interesting claims to fame," Eileen said kindly to her guest as she carried the now ready tea to her table. Currently, the two were in a private chamber of the palace, more specifically, Lady Eileen's room – or more accurately, suite, considering how big it was.

"Thank you. Now, are you familiar with the legend of the twins of Unova?" Cynthia asked curiously. Her host shook her head. "Well it pretty goes like this: in ancient Unova, there were two brothers, twins if the stories are accurate enough. The two managed to tame an extremely powerful Dragon and were able to unite the warring factions under a unified rule. Time passed, and the two brothers began to fight over what was better, truth or ideals. The older twin fought for truth, the younger – "

"For ideals," Lady Eileen finished. Cynthia nodded as she took a sip of tea.

"Correct. Now the dragon that had fought for them could not decide which brother to fight for, so, it split itself in two. One half became the embodiment of truth, the flaming dragon Reshiram; the other half the embodiment of ideals, the thundering dragon Zekrom. The two waged war against each other, devastating the land they had fought together to build. No records of course exist about this period of time but it is known that after years of fighting, the two brothers died in battle together. The two dragons, either in grief or preparation, locked themselves away in a deep slumber." Cynthia paused to take a breath. "Lady Eileen, I came here because one of the signs that the hero of truth is coming back is that there will be born a noble warrior stained in dishonor." Cynthia looked her host in the eye.

"And I think that hero had a rather unique Riolu as a companion before the dragon."

What was going on? Lucian wasn't sure as images of a wedding, martial arts training, and memories of a silent house flashed through his head while was running away from the Lucario. He was even more startled when a voice started talking in his head.

*Thank God, I can see! Now can you tell me why you're running again?*

[Who are you? Why are you in my head? GET OUT!] Lucian barked, his eyes twitching beyond all belief.

Lucian had the impression that the voice was about to answer when Lucian slammed into somebody. Lucian recovered fast enough to recognize a pissed off Oberon when he saw him. Lucian sat there speechless as the infuriated Riolu made his way towards him, a pack of four other Riolu following him.

[_I. Will. KILL YOU!_] Oberon screamed aloud, rushing forwards to deliver a devastating Rock Smash.

*_MOVE, GODDAMMIT, MOVE BEFORE HE KILLS US!_* The voice yelled inside Lucian's head. Taking its advice, Lucian rolled to the side just in time for Oberon to hit the cement pathway, sending shards of rubble flying. Apparantly, that was also the signal for Oberon's cronies to swarm towards Lucian.

*Look, you suck at fighting. So let me take control, and you just tell where they're coming from, okay?* Lucian never got a chance to respond as his body suddenly moved without his permission and flipped the nearest charging Riolu into Oberon.

_It feels great to have a body again. Good thing I can use Lucian's memories to figure out how to move. The Riolu I dub Two tries to fient to the left, but I round kick to the right, sending his sorry tail skyward. Lucian warns me of danger from behind. I duck and watch as a fist hits Number Three in the nose, knocking him out. I grab the fist before it can pull back and drag it to the right. I then see Oberon's shocked face as I throw One over his head. _

_Oberon turned his head to watch the last of his goons fly. Too bad he didn't notice me planting my foot in his frejoles at mach speed. The b*****d dropped like a sack of bricks, moaning something about the kid not being his. My disgust for him grows as I walk away, using Lucian's memories to try and get us home. After all, all I have to look for is the bridge to the Palace and we're good. _

The resulting melee had been fairly confusing to Lucian, but he had the impression that Oberon had once again received a case of broken jewelry, and that the goons were tossed into positions. Lucian snapped back into reality when he realized he was heading home.

[So, who are you?] Lucian asked, hoping that the being in his head would answer.

*My name is Gabriel. I want you to know that after this, I will _not_ be saving your tail again. You are going to have to train hard for the Rota League.*

[How am I going to do that, Father -] Lucian started saying before the being in his head – no, wait, _Gabriel_ – interrupted.

*For one thing, I still know how to fight. Two, you'll be training with that Melissa girl, and three, all you have to do to make me hear you is think about what you want to say to me. Understand me so far?* Gabriel said, his voice (or at least what Lucian thought was his voice) surprisingly level and patient to the young Riolu.

_L-Like this?_ Thought Lucian, his face screwed up in uncertainty. He then had the impression of a nod.

*Yes. Now, I can't sleep, but you do. So when we get home, please, head straight to bed. Oh, and call me Gabe. Most people call me that.*

Lucian smiled as he spotted his mother standing by the bridge, her worried muzzle breaking out into a smile of joy.

Today had started out horribly for Lucian. Yet in the end, as Lucian listened to his mother rant about the dangers of being alone in the dark, he had discovered possibly the one thing that could make him happy.

A friend.

The same could also be said of green haired young boy, years ago….

End of Part One

**This is the latest intalment in **_**Two Sides to Every Tail**_**, so I hope you enjoyed. Who is Gabe? What will happen to Lucian? And what about N, and his life in Unova? Find out in the next chapter, now underway! **

**Oh, and I am still accepting OCs. Just give me name, age, gender, ethnicity, job, pokemon if any, personality, and a brief backstory if you want to. Whether or not that OC makes it into the story is up to me, but otherwise, send them in! **

**Read and Review! **

**Auf Weidersehen! (Please also send me the correct German spelling of this.)**


	3. Chapter 3

N's Story, Part 1

_I'm amazed at what's happened to me so far. Lucian has pretty much accepted my training regimen, which pretty much consists of running up stairs, working out in a gym, and practicing mixed martial arts. While I personally taught him Tae Kwon Do through my memories, he has blown past me learning different styles that I probably can't do. He and Melissa passed basic with flying colors two months ago, and now we are prepping for the Rota League. _

_But there's something that I have so far kept a secret from Lucian, and that concerns my rather…odd relationship with a future green haired king. A king that I'm starting to see as a little brother._

N sat in the corner of his room, bored out his mind. The eight year old was supposed to be sleeping, but for some reason, N just couldn't fall into slumber. He looked over to the door of his room. To the extent of his limited knowledge, the door wasn't exactly locked, but N knew from experience that if he opened the door, then Father – no, Sage Ghethis! – would be furious at him.

N sighed as he stood up in his pajamas. Maybe for once, if he was fast enough…

N quickly calculated the amount of time he would need to escape the confines of his room. It would take about five minutes for him to reach the big double doors at the front of the keep, and possibly more to avoid the patrols of the footmen…and the Shadow Triad. N shivered in fear. The three agents of Sage Ghethis always scared him, even though the young lord was technically in command of them.

N quickly prayed to Lady Suicune, deity of the Northern Winds and of lost causes, for his quick escapade to be successful. And with that, he turned the doorknob.

It took him a while, but N had finally managed to get out of the castle. The patrols of footmen were easy to evade, as expected, especially as the patrols were few and far between. N wasn't sure if the Shadow Triad were following him or not, but he was fairly certain that they hadn't found him. Yet.

N looked around in the surrounding dark foliage surrounding him. He had found a tunnel that led him to the outside world; the world that, if Sage Ghethis was correct, would soon need a Hero of Ideals to carry it through a new age. N wasn't quite sure what that meant, but right now, his eight year old brain wasn't caring. What was important was that N explored his new surroundings.

N hadn't even taken two steps before he heard a small yelp of pain sound off from the forest. Looking around, N listened for the source of the noise, and after hearing some whining, ran off into the woods. To him, it almost sounded as if someone was in pain and crying. N crashed into a tiny clearing and saw something that made his young heart go still with fright momentarily.

A nasty fanged trap had gone off, trapping the small grey Pokémon in its teeth painfully. The Pokémon continued to struggle, desperate to stop the pain, only to make it worse. N timidly took a step closer to it. The Pokémon stopped what it was doing and growled as he came closer.

[Come any closer and I'll rip your face off!] the Pokémon growled in an act of intimidation. N shivered, more out of feeling cold than from fear.

"But, you're hurt," N said quietly, kneeling down to the Pokémon's level to look at its wounds – and the trap.

[I don't – wait a second, you understand me?] the Pokémon asked incredulously, blue eyes wide in surprise. N nodded.

"Yeah, but I just want to help. Please? I'll try not to hurt you," N pleaded with the small creature in front of him. The Pokémon huffed in annoyance and nodded. N gingerly placed his hands on both sides of the trap, careful not to impale his fingers on the teeth of the evil contraption. He had an idea of how it worked, so the young lord, with all the strength that his eight year old frame could deliver, opened the jaws of the trap.

Gleefully, the Pokémon jumped out, only to fall flat on its face after moving two feet from the trap. N quickly let go of the trap, the thing snapping shut with a metallic crunch. N fell flat on his butt, fear – and a slight bit of excitement on not being hurt – coursing through his eyes. The Pokémon whined in pain, snapping N's focus away from his fear and back to the small creature beside him.

"If you want, I can take you to some really nice people, they can make you feel better." N was referring to Anthea and Concordia, the only two people that he knew of who healed Pokémon so that they could get better and live their lives freely, instead of being under the horrible thumb of Pokémon trainers.

[Will you still be there? I mean, just because you got me out of that trap doesn't mean I like you,] the Pokémon panted. N nodded as he gently scooped up the small Pokémon in his arms.

"Don't worry, I'll share your pain…as a friend, okay? By the way, what kind of Pokémon are you?" N asked.

[I'm a Zorua, huma-] the Zorua yawned, tired from its recent ordeal. Now N was worried. Falling asleep and suffering from blood loss was a recipe for disaster. So with that in mind N rushed home, for once not caring about the Shadow Triad or Ghethis.

As it turned out, Anthea and Concordia were able to heal the Zorua (the poor Pokémon was not to be doing anything stressful for two weeks), and after much pleading and begging, N was allowed to keep the Zorua as a companion.

Ghethis just didn't expect a nightly visitor to come soon after. Not that he was aware of it.

Two Days Later

N watched as Zorua ran around his room, a small smile on his face. N had been sentenced to five weeks in his room, with only Anthea, Concordia, and Zorua for company. Currently, it was about time for N to start getting ready for bed, and N was, to be blunt, to damned hyper to go to sleep.

"Zorua, aren't you supposed to be resting? Anthea said that running around was bad for your leg," N told the fox, who had somehow tripped over his own feet and was now looking at N upside down. The diminutive Pokémon let out a snort of derision.

[Please, I'll be fine. Besides, the only reason that human is making me rest is because you guys are too cheap to have whatever those things are in the Pokémon Centers that fix up wounds in a jiffy,] Zorua barked, his blue eyes showing no signs of being tired. N sighed in annoyance at his friends disregard for sound advice, just as the sound of rushing footsteps was heard. N and Zorua looked at each questioningly.

Suddenly, the door swung open and was swiftly – yet quietly – shut, and there stood a young man, panting as he held the door shut. N and Zorua were quite simply dumbfounded. So far, the only people who were allowed to enter N's room were Anthea, Concordia, Ghethis and the other Sages, and a few select Plasma officers. The sight of a young man dressed in a zip up hoodie, cargo shorts, a shirt displaying a cup of instant noodles, and barefoot was enough to stun N into silence. The same cannot be said of Zorua.

Quietly, Zorua snuck up behind the stranger and with a snarl, lunged up and bit him in the buttocks. Or at least, Zorua tried to. The guy sidestepped without looking at where Zorua was coming from, which soon lead to Zorua bashing his muzzle against the door. Without warning (or consent) the stranger scooped up Zorua in his arms, and started scratching him under his jaw and behind the ears.

[Hey, what the he..oh, yeah right there, that's the spot,] Zorua purred as the stranger slowly scratched the area between the red tuft of fur and the ear. N, at the sight of his friend being petted, snapped out of his stupor.

"Who are you, what do you want, where did you come from, why are you here, how did you get past the guards?" N asked hurriedly, memories from one of Ghethis' lessons coming to mind. That lesson had been all about how people in the outside world were prone to kidnapping young children, especially the children of important people. The stranger looked up from Zorua to look N in the eye, finger no longer scratching the Tricky Fox pokemon. Zorua, for his part, whined at the lack of scratching.

N was expecting the stranger to look fierce, scarred, and thoroughly deadly. He did not expect a rather normal looking face, with a ghost of a goatee at the bottom of his jaw. Green – brown eyes peered over a pair of squared glasses at N, left eyebrow raised in amusement. Close cropped brown hair sat upon his head.

"I'm not going to hurt you, ok, I just need a place to stay until the guards leave," the stranger said, his voice ringing with a slightly sarcastic baritone. N shook his head.

"But why are you _here_ in Team Plasma's castle?" the child asked. The stranger shrugged.

"Well, let's see here, I went to sleep one day and I woke up in the body of a Riolu. So I am now stuck inside of a Pokemon's mind. So he goes to sleep, and what happens? I am suddenly yanked out of his body and dropped in the middle of a forest. I start walking," at this point the stranger was gesturing wildly with his free arm. "And I find a well-worn path that leads to a hole in the wall. An actual hole in the wall. I, being curious, go in and see a castle underground and think 'Hmm, maybe I can go there and ask for directions.' I go up to the front door, go inside, and then get chased by a bunch of bloodthirsty Houndoom. After that, I ran in here, and started talking to you." The stranger watched N's face for a reaction.

Put simply, N was dumbfounded. "Are you a trainer?" He asked timidly, the stories of how evil Pokemon trainers were flashing through his mind. The stranger chuckled.

"No, I'm not a trainer since I never had a Pokemon and I'm currently inside of one's head. Why do you ask?" he replied to the youth.

"Because Sagr Ghethis says that trainers are all evil," N said softly.

The stranger rolled his eyes. "Kid, Ghethis wouldn't know evil even if it kicked him in the huevos. Wait a sec, I can't keep calling you kid all the time, what's your name?" he asked.

"My name? My name is Natural Harmonius Gropius, Lord of Team Plasma," N responded, pride entering his voice.

"Hmm, quite a mouthful. But I can I just call you N, or Nate? Most people just call each other by their first names you know," the brown haired, four – eyed teen replied.

"Many of my future subjects call me Lord N," N stated, like it was common knowledge. At least it was in the castle.

"Or I could just call you N, like any other sane person and or Pokemon," the stranger said with a slight bit of condemnation. N sighed in resignation.

"Very well. But isn't it common courtesy to disclose one's name if the other does so?" N asked in the way that children often do. The stranger nodded to N as he gently laid Zorua back on N's bed.

"You gotta point there. Well, since you did tell me your name, I'll do the same. My name is Gabriel Adam Monnot, Lord of Himself and Resident of a Riolu and Rota. Most folks just call me Gabe." At the end of this, the stranger – no, N corrected himself, - Gabe bowed dramatically, a smirk on his face. "So N, what can I do for you, provided you don't turn me in to the guards?"

And thus began a rather… colorful friendship between a hero of Black and White and an artist with a bad color palette.

**Now folks, this is the final version of this chapter. I would like reviews for this chapter (although ideas on what should happen are acceptable). So please, read, enjoy, and GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK PEOPLE, I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE THIS! I NEED A REASON TO WRITE! You don't want to see me off this site, do you?**

Thank you.

The Management


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the next segment of Two Sides to Every Tail, and it again focuses on N. And road trips. But there is more emphasis on what Gabe is like, and where he came from. N will be acting like a kid, not some super genius, so he won't be putting two plus two together, ok people? Now as always, I would like reviews of the last three chapters, and ideas and OC's for the next I don't know how many chapters. But anyway, read and review! Und Auf Wiedersiehen! (Will someone please give me the proper spelling for this?)**

**Also, a quick key for quotes and comments:**

"Hi"=normal, human speech

[Hi]=Pokemon speech

[_Hi_]=Pokemon telepathy/thoughts

_Hi=_telepathy/thoughts

{Author's note and/or comment. Has no effect on actual story, only helps save time for me to describe and to help reader visualize}

**Now, on with the story!**

N's Story, Pt.2

_It's been interesting, to say the least, being N's friend. At first, he was simply scared witless of me, courtesy of Ghethis' terrible parenting. But after Zorua warmed up to me (it wasn't that hard; all I had to do was scratch him behind the ears), N was more or less fine with me. It certainly took him a while to get used to my method of popping up in his closet or under the bed, but all in all, he took it in stride. _

_Most kids his age would just say I was Bogeyman and be done with it. N, on the other hand, is much more mature. And curious. _

It had been four months since N had first met Gabe, and tonight Gabe had gone and done something special; tonight was the first night that the Millennium Comet was in the night sky, and Gabe had snuck N out of the castle to go and see it. Never in his life had N seen anything so majestic and otherwise perfect.

Gabe for his part, was glad that N was enjoying himself. After four months of training Lucian and entertaining N in his room, Gabe was glad that the two could get out. Laying down on the grass, Gabe looked up at the comet and sighed.

N looked down at one of his only (human) friends and saw the melancholy look on the young adult's face. Sitting down next to Gabe, N noted that the corners of Gabe's eyes were starting to glisten in the comets soft, bright light. Zorua quickly took advantage of N's lap and curled up.

"Gabe, what's wrong?" N asked, concerned for his friend. Gabe closed his eyes and sighed, shrugging.

"Nothing much N," he replied. "I'm just wondering how my little brother is doing, that's all." N was surprised. Gabe didn't really talk much about his past, much less family, so it was naturally surprising that Gabe would pick now of all times to talk about his life.

"You have a younger sibling?" N inquired, his eight year old curiosity in overdrive. Gabe nodded.

"Thirteen years my junior." N's jaw dropped. _That_ much of difference between siblings? That was something N had never heard of. "Of course, Carson was always the more outgoing of the two of us, but still,…." Gabe trailed off, his expression even more gloomy than before.

"Where's Carson now?"

Gabe shrugged indifferently. "A universe or two away and probably in Texas. I don't have a clue. The last time I saw him was when I was heading to Ohio for college."

This was, at least in N's opinion, the longest time that Gabe had _ever_ spent talking about his family.

"N, can I tell you a story?" Gabe asked quietly, his gaze not leaving the comet. N nodded and said yes.

Gabe cleared his throat before speaking, his voice so calm, and flat, that N had to scoot over a few inches to hear him. Zorua didn't notice or care, as the little fox seemed to be fast asleep.

"Once upon a time, a boy was born to an average mother in an average hospital, in an average city. For a while, the boy spent his life at a university, then at a series of military installations. When he was about three, his family fell apart, and with his mother, moved to a far off land." Gabe smiled softly, a change from his formerly depressing expression. "He saw the start of a new era…and didn't know he had lived through an event that was soon to be forever ingrained in his homeland's history. He had no idea how close his mother had been to being sent to war. He soon went back to his homeland, and that was when his innocence started falling apart.

"He became quiet, withdrawn, and occasionally angry. His family soon moved again, and the situation for him grew worse. He started failing school, he got into fights, and he began going down a dark, dark path that his mother and new – found father had never envisioned. He was…uncaring to what the world around him wanted, and the boy, now a young man at this time, liked it that way. He was soon sent to live on an isolated island, where he very soon created his own personal torture with his father. He passed school…barely, and after the good-byes to friends and family were done…he disappeared." Gabe stopped to wipe a single tear from his eye. N rarely saw any emotions other than acceptance, gladness, and some days, annoyance on Gabe's face, so it shocked the young lord of Team Plasma to see his only human friend crying. "He never even got to say I love you to his family for the last time," Gabe's voice cracked at this, now blinking to get the tears out of his eyes.

N looked back up towards where the comet was. If what Gabe said was a story, why did it feel so…personal?

"Of course, last I heard the guy was stuck in another distant land without a clue on how he got there," Gabe said brightly, the gloom and doom that had surrounded him now gone. "Rumor had it he went to go see some royal nutcase."

"Hmm, that seems like a good ending for such a sad story," N said softly, his tea green eyes almost closed in tiredness.

Gabe smirked good naturedly. "Never said the story was done, I just said that that was the last I heard about the guy. You just rest now ok? I'll watch over you," he said softly, as he watched his young companion fall asleep.

Gabe went back to looking at the rather calming sight of the Millennium Comet soaring through the sky.

He didn't know how much time passed, but eventually Gabe became aware that someone was watching him. Without moving his head much, Gabe scanned the area. Nothing was coming out of the surrounding foliage, and the Team Plasma grunt that was supposed to be guarding the entrance to the underground cavern where the castle was lying unconscious in a bush, and wouldn't be missed until dawn.

[What did you not tell N about yourself?]

Gabe looked over at Zorua, who was now wide awake. "How long have been up, and what did you hear?" he asked the diminutive fox. Zorua gave his equivalent of a shrug.

[Since always. Well, I did have a five minute nap after your "story," but that was it,] Zorua yipped softly. Gabe nodded in understanding.

"To answer the original question, I had been treating my brother like you would a Joltik, and I **was**, and possibly still am, a complete jack to everyone around me. Why do you ask?"

[Gabe, you're not that bad. If you were, I wouldn't let N anywhere _near_ you. And I wouldn't trust you if you were as bad as you say you are. Not to mention you treat N like a normal human child that has a littermate,] Zorua said, his blue eyes glowing with surprising honesty. Gabe laughed halfheartedly.

"Yeah right. Zorua, N is my chance to be the brother I should have been for Carson; fun loving, responsible, and the best guy in the world to be. I just…" Gabe grasped the air in front of him, looking for the right words. "I just want to set things right again."

[What do you mean?]

"If I had the power to go back in time to change the lives of everybody I've ever disappointed in my life Zorua, I would do it in a heart-beat. But I can't. So, I have to change the life of a complete stranger to redeem myself. Not that I object mind you," Gabe said energetically. "But I just want to be what I should have in the first place." Gabe stopped, and looked to the sky with a sigh.

[Have you ever considered that a higher being has plans for you?] Zorua asked, the Tricky Fox Pokemon's voice now sounding a little tired. Gabe snorted humorlessly.

"Once. Not so sure anymore. I kinda like my little third dimensional view on free will, compared to a fourth dimensional acceptance of everything is set in stone," Gabe said flippantly.

Zorua chuckled softly. "What's so funny?" Gabe asked, eyebrow quirked up as he glanced over to the Dark type.

[Well, you see, Sage Ryokyu was a professor at Vermillion University teaching quantum mechanics. Still writes papers about it, but as 'Professor Ryan B. Callahan.' The guy constantly reads some stupid book called _Slaughterhouse Five _and it drives the other Sages nuts. The supposedly states how stupid most people are. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks most humans are complete morons,] Zorua explained, a paw waving about in the air. Gabe couldn't help but laugh.

"Zorua, a lot of humans from my generation **are** idiots."

The two of them heard the Plasma grunt groan in pain. Gabe got up quietly and went off into the darkened trees.

*_Whack!* *Thud*_

_Two weeks Later_

N watched uneasily as Gabe worked to hotwire the motorcycle in front of a bar. The older teen had insisted that they wear long, tough pants called jeans, and that N wear a jacket. Gabe himself wore a leather jacket that had some weird hump where the top of the spinal cord was, and was colored black. Perfect for working in the dark as they were doing right now. Granted, no one had come out of the bar yet, but that didn't mean what Gabe was doing was in any way legal. Or beneficial to his health.

"Good grief N, you don't have to be so scared. Right now, the guy that owns this motorcycle will be happy we're taking it," Gabe said loudly, not looking away from what he was doing. N could barely hear him over the din of some horrible music blaring out the bar's speakers, and the whooping and hollering of its occupants.

"But stealing is wrong!" N cried out over the music. Gabe may have snorted in amusement, N couldn't hear that well. But the shrug of his right shoulder meant that Gabe was in a good mood.

"Nate," Gabe said, using part of N's real name for a change, "It is not stealing if we take the bike _back_ to its original owner. And plus, I like to this of this as…borrowing with the intent not to return it." Gabe spliced a pair of wires together and the motorized – and chopped up – bicycle roared to life. Gabe hopped on with seemingly practiced ease. "Now come on, we have a Black City Lakers game to see." Gabe smiled as he offered his hand to N.

N frowned uneasily, not sure of what to do. Today would be the first time ever that he would see the outside world, and he wasn't sure of what would happen if Sage Ghethis found out. But, as Gabe was sometimes prone of saying, "Sometimes before you can walk, you got to run like your butt's on fire." So, grabbing onto Gabe's jacket, N hauled himself up onto the back part of the motorcycle's seat. With a brief roar of acceleration, the duo drove off into the predawn light.

It was only later that the leader of the Black Empoleon Biker Gang found out that his stolen chopper had been stolen from him.

8:45 A.M., Undella

N had only heard of the ocean from the Sages, a grunt or two, Anthea and Concordia, books, and of course, Gabe. So N was amazed at the sheer amount of water gently lapping at the sands of the small coastal resort. Currently, he and Gabe were trying to find the house of the owner of the stolen motorcycle they were on. Every so often, Gabe would ask N about what he thought of the world around him. And N would answer in wonderment, always asking what the people were doing, why they were doing it, and why was it that the Pokémon seemed to enjoy themselves in the presence of humans.

Gabe did the best he could to answer the young lord's questions. He explained that Undella was essentially a resort town, and that a lot of wealthy individuals from all of the main regions came here during the spring and summer. One of those wealthy individuals was the person who had lost the bike. The person that they were looking for was a man from the Orre region, which N soon learned had been nothing more than a lawless strip of sand and rock until about twelve years ago, when a former thieve had single-handedly taken out the criminal organization that had covertly tried to take over the region by denying the region of its precious water.

The organization involved made a resurgence five years after that, and was promptly destroyed by yet another kid. Yet Gabe couldn't help but tell N only part of the truth. The Cipher Corporation, a.k.a. Team Cypher, had created a strain of Pokémon called simply Shadow Pokémon. These Shadow Pokémon had been created by artificially sealing off the part of a Pokémon's brain dealing with positive emotion, leaving an emotionally detached tool that had once been a being with a unique personality. A side effect of the process of converting a Pokémon to be a Shadow was that the Pokémon soon became hyper aggressive, willing to harm even an unarmed, nonthreatening human. Thankfully, the process wasn't permanent, as giving positive feedback, care, and in some cases, a unique name would destroy the seal in the Pokémon's head.

Gabe looked down at the address of the owner that he had taped to the inside of the windshield. He had gotten the address from the internet while stopping to refuel in the walled town of Lacunosa, as well as directions to the place. Gabe had asked if N wanted to help him navigate through the streets and roads of Lacunosa and Undella to get there, and the young boy had eagerly accepted. It reminded Gabe of the times his dad asked to him to navigate their way through the streets and interstates of several large cities (Chicago being the first that he could remember) and States.

"Gabe, we need to take a right on … Waikiki Drive, and look for the third house on the ri-oh, wow," N exclaimed as Gabe took a right turn on the aforementioned street. Gabe had to admit, these houses _were_ impressive. The smallest of these was a single story adobe brick home, and if Gabe could guess, he would say that it was worth approximately 2.5 million dollars, easily because of the view of Undella Bay, the fact that the house was in Undella, and because while it was a fairly small house for a millionaire, the amount of land that it rested on was _huge_, at least two to three acres of tough, soft grass, equally soft sand, and a small outcropping of red sandstone. It was also the third house on the right.

Pulling up to the gated driveway, Gabe let the bike idle and turned in his seat to face N. "N, this guy might have a short temper because his bike was stolen. I need you to cover your ears when I hit that intercom button, OK?" Gabe kindly told the green haired kid in the back of the bike. N nodded. Gabe smiled and hit the button so that he could ask the famous – or infamous, depending on whom you talked to – Pokémon trainer, Wes Findlay.

Wes Findlay was at the same time glad and annoyed. Glad, because his custom built chopper had been brought back, and annoyed because it was too damned early in the morning in his opinion to wake a guy up to tell him, "Hey, I found your bike and would like to return it!"

Wes, however, couldn't help but admire the returnee's abundance of guts for coming to his winter home. Due to his…awkward past with the law, Wes was prone to being overly wary of strangers just stopping to talk to him. But this guy…well, Wes couldn't help but see a bit of himself in the kid. Rebellious, impulsive, and apparently, on the lookout for money.

Currently, he and his bike's recent riders were sitting in his living room, just watching each other's reactions. Well, Wes and the driver were. The green haired kid that was in the back seat of the bike was looking at everything in the house. The plaques from the various Orre Coliseums that Wes had defeated, several photos of him and Rui together, and up on the mantle, his old Snag Gauntlet encased in a bullet-proof, flame, freeze, and shock resistant case, locked by a good ol' fashioned padlock that only Wes could open.

Wes saw out of the corner of his eye Lydia, his Espeon, jump up onto the couch which the duo were sitting on, and rub her head against the child, purring loudly. Really, _really_, loud. Eclipse, Wes's Umbreon, was still sleeping on floor by his food bowl, snoring and leg twitching.

"So," Wes began slowly, "You two happened to find my bike and return it. An admirable and honorable thing to do, but I have the feeling that you," Wes pointed at the older of the two, "Have some kind of offbeat award in store for yourself. Now spill." Wes watched as the older boy – what age was he, sixteen, seventeen? – stretch out his limbs, face split in what was an unmistakable smug grin.

"We just need tickets to see the Black City Lakers game tonight. Some seats close to the court would be nice," he requested, eyes closed as he waited for Wes's answer.

Wes was for one of the few times in his life, stupefied. Most people would just ask for some exorbitant amount of money, yet here was a teen that was somewhat modest enough to ask for tickets…to a basketball game. Wes shook his head. "Sorry, but giving me back my bike doesn't warrant a pair of tickets to a basketball game," he said, dark amber eyes watching.

"Hmm," the teenager uttered in thought. "I can understand that. How 'bout this: I have info on what the remainder of Team Cypher is doing in Orre as of right now, and that, I believe, is worth more than an easily replaceable motorcycle, don't you think?" The teen finally looked Wes dead in the eye with a serious expression on his face.

Wes was wary. "Where did you get your, 'info'?" he asked, his tone flat and calculating. The teen shrugged.

"Um, the internet? I hacked into the Cypher mainframe without knowing what I doing. They," the teen said, "_Really_ need to pick a better administrative password other than '1, 2, 3, 4,' I mean, that's something an idiot would put on his luggage!" {This is the part where you see the clip from _Spaceballs_ regarding the password – the author}

Wes smiled; this kid just _might _deserve the tickets. There was just one thing that Wes had to check first.

"So, uh, frak, uh,…" Wes struggled to remember his guest's name. He really needed a cup of Undella's famous coffee; he was not a morning person at all, not if he had a choice. Which in Orre, was never due to the sun and heat; here in Unova, Wes slept in whenever he could.

"Gabe," the teen stated, hands now held in front of his face.

"Okay, Gabe, what's your relation to the kid?" Wes asked, partly to see if Gabe was trustworthy, and mostly because he actually was curious about the strange pair in front of him.

Gabe smiled softly. "Nate's a friend of mine. Sorta my little kid brother in a way. His dad's not really that sociable or even around that much. He's also stuck in his house for the most part, so I figured I'd take him out of the house and go see something enjoyable," he said softly, rubbing the top of Nate's head in amusement. The boy didn't find it quite so amusing, as his face scrunched in annoyance at what Gabe was doing.

Wes looked over at Lydia, who was now happily curled up in Nate's small lap. She looked over at her beloved trainer and nodded.

[_You can trust them,_] she said telepathically, eyes closing as she soon went to take a nap on Nate, much to his amazement.

Wes sighed in relief – and amusement. "Okay then, two tickets for that Lakers game tonight for returning my bike and the information on Cypher. That sounds like a good deal to me," he said, hand extended to the teen in front of him. "I'll hook you up on the tickets, and you know what? You need a better bike."

Wes took Gabe to his garage. It was pretty dark, with it facing _away _from the sun, and the rather interesting fact that the room was mostly underground. Wes flipped the light switch and watched as Gabe's jaw practically fell off in admiration of the vehicles inside.

"You'll be taking _that_ one," Wes said, pointing to a motorcycle hidden in a corner. Gabe followed the twenty – nine year old's finger and almost fainted on the spot. The midnight black, high glossed machine was obviously custom made, but this thing looked like a lightcycle from Tron, minus the more contemporary sport motorbike rear end.

"Wow," was the only thing that came from Gabe's mouth, along with an unhealthy amount of drool dripping from a rather awestruck grin. Wes smiled. Finally, he could get rid of that stupid bike. Some nut had sold to him, claiming that it would revolutionize the entire automotive and motorbike industry. Soon, cars, bikes, trucks and whatnot wouldn't need as much gasoline, due to the engine powering up a massive lithium battery that could easily keep the vehicle going for about two to three hours. It was then that Wes learned Gabe didn't have a license. Good thing Wes had connections.

Gabe was excited as he pulled out of Wes's driveway, N clinging to his back. Wes had been kind enough to supply them with helmets, although Gabe was pretty sure it was more due to an obligation to keep a pair of minors alive than anything else. Whatever the reason, Gabe, and hopefully N, was enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing past them.

Currently, Gabe was driving along Route 14, weaving gracefully through traffic at a relatively slow speed of fifty – five miles an hour, somewhat enjoying the view of the sun rising up from the treetops. Gabe sighed quietly to himself. If only his dad could see him now….

Thankfully, there hadn't been any cops that had asked him to pull over. But, it never hurt people to be careful. After about another hour of driving, the unlikely duo reached the outskirts of Black City, and N had his first real look at human sprawl. Gabe instantly decided that this place was a shrunken down version of Los Angeles, and that most of the people there would be just as hospitable.

There arguably wasn't much to do for another _eleven_ freakin' hours other than just kill time, so Gabe decided to improvise. Just to shake things up a little.

7:38 P.M., Black City Lakers stadium

Gabe – and to an even louder extent, N – cheered on the basketball teams playing down below from their seats near the court itself; more specifically, right above the bench for the Lakers. Right now, it was eight minutes into the second quarter, and it was 38 – 35, San Antoine Spurs leading. Gabe was yelling for the forward center to give the danged ball to number nine on the court, and N…well, he was just cheering on with youthful abandon. Gabe had to explain the rules earlier a bit to N, but once the game started and N got a chance to watch, the kid almost instantly understood.

Suddenly, one of the players for the Lakers whacked the ball violently out of the dribbling hands of Spurs #9, and the ball went sailing up into the air. In slow motion, Gabe watched as the ball fell towards their general direction. _Damn, that's going to cause a ruckus,_ he thought as the ball most certainly headed his way. Without warning, he grabbed N and in one smooth motion, placed the kid on his shoulders, leaned forward, and yelled "_Catch!_"

N responded instantly, now hugging close to his chest his newfound prize. Gabe quickly put N back on the ground as fellow spectators swarmed towards N, demanding to have the foul basketball. After much placating, threatening, browbeating, bluffing, and outright refusing, Gabe and N sat back down to enjoy the rest of the game. In the end, they managed to get out without any more rabid memorabilia hunters finding them and safely got back to the bike.

N fell asleep as Gabe drove back to Wes's house to ask the Espeon to teleport them to Opelucid's northern outskirts, and was still out cold when they entered the large cavern in which the castle resided. N woke up briefly to navigate the way through the castle and back into his room, where both Gabe and N found what appeared to be a perfect replica of N lying in bed, looking absolutely furious.

[Never, _**again**_,] stated Zorua, [am I _ever_ going to pose as N being sick, not when those two crazy ladies force feed me an entire seven course meal. I have finally learned that I cannot tolerate fancy human food in my system. Now, before I can ask how your day went, I need to worship the porcelain god.] Zorua shifted his form back to his natural self and quickly scurried off into the bathroom.

Gabe tucked N into his bed and turned out the lights, letting the young lord sleep. He could faintly hear the sounds of Zorua retching into the toilet before his world went black.

Zorua came out of the bathroom much better, the late night snack that Anthea had shoved down his throat purged from his body. The first thing he noticed was that Gabe was gone. The second was that N was clutching a basketball of all things in his hands. The fox focused on the first issue somewhat along the lines off, [_How in the Reverse – World does Gabe do that disappearing act of his?_]

The answer to Zorua's unspoken question wouldn't have an answer – not for another eight years, anyways.


End file.
